Potential-producing cell



y 14, 1940- I s. RUBEN 2.200.301

POTENTIALPRODUCING CELL Filed Jan. 2;, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented May 14,1940- UNITED :STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

' POTENTIAL-PRODUCING cm I I Samuel Ruben, New Rochelle, N. I mum... January 22, 1931, Serial No. 121,153

' comm. (01, 136-100) This invention relates to a device for producing a constant potential and this application is a conelement.

t'inuation in part of my pending application Serial Number 633,607,1iled September 1'7, 1932.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device suitable for biasingtlie grid control elements of electrical discharge devices.

A further object is the provision of such adevice which when properly used will show negligible change over a long period of time.

Other objects will be apparent from the disclosure.

Fundamentally the invention comprises the use of dissimilar electrode materials between which there is a relatively large contact potential difference, in combinationwith a contacting medium which only in a limited way serves as an electro-.

lyte, in the usual sense of the term, In the present cell the electrolyte is one which will not substantially. chemically .react with either of the electrodes. Preferably it comprises gum possessing weak electrolytic properties resulting from its normal constituents gum such as gum tarabic or gum tragacanth dissolved or reacted with a polyhydroxy alcohol such as ethylene glycol or glycerine. Instead of the glycol or 'glycerine I may use 1 a conductive ester of one of these materials such For as glycol or glycerol acetate, citrate, etc. some uses'where high insulation resistance obtains, the gum itself may constitute an adequate electrolyte. 4 T

To obtain the maximum potential the negative electrode is chosen from the group of electro-positive elements such as, forexample, aluminum, zinc, cadmium, the latter being the preferred For the positive electrode the most electro-negative materials are preferred, for instance, those chosen from electronically conducted compounds such as ferrous-ferric oxide,

cuprous or cupric sulphide or vanadium pento'xide, the latter being the preferred compound.

With electrodes formed of these materials the voltage generated by the cell is about one volt. As the biasing of the grid control elements-is basically an electrostatic function, there are no static current flow requirements. The cell of this invention is, therefore; pe uliarly fitted for such use since it will not maintain a current flow due to the fact that the negative electrode is not soluble in the electrolyte as are the electrodes in the customary dry battery cells.

A suitable electrolyte may be made as follows:

Thirty grams of gum arabic are dissolved in sixty-' five grams of glycerine heated to l20 0., the temperature being maintained for a period of about 1 What .is claimed is: I I

. whereby said battery suffers of the gum arabic-gum twenty minutesafter the gum arabic has been completely dissolved'and thereafter five grams 'of glycerol acetate are added.

Absorbent discs of gauze or paper aredipped into the hot solution and thereafter assembled 5 with the electrodes. The electrolyte solution when cool is an adhesive and'slightly conductive mass which will not dry out.

A typical cell is shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating an-embodiment of": the me, 10 vention ,.l lg. 1 showing a device partially cut away and Fig. 2 showing a sectional view on line In the drawing, a tube [constructed of fiber or other suitable material houses a series of voltaic" 16 cells' each composed of' negative electrode cadmium discs 2, vanadium pento'xide positive discs 5 and gum arable-glycerol impregnated cotton plugs 4 which afford the necessary electrical contact between electrodes 2and The plugs are 20 bya-spring 8 and metal caps 1 which close the device.

1. A potential-supplying. battery comprising a negative electrode composed of an electropositive element, a positive electrode formed of a material electronegative thereto, and an electrolyte in contact with both said electrodes, the essential active electrolytic potential producing ingredient of which is a sum of the gum arabic-gum tra'gacanth class possessing weak electrolytic properties resulting from its .normal constituents, said electrodes being substantially insoluble inand substantially unreactive with said electrolyte,

negligible 'deterioration when in use for an electrostatic potential supply or when not in use and is incapable of producing any appreciable current flow when in a'--closed circuit but is characterizedby theability to produce a. potential difference in the'absence of current flow. Y

2. A potential-supplying battery comprising a negative electrode composed of an electropositive,

' element, a positive electrode formed of a material electronegative thereto, and-an electrolyte in contact with both said electrodes, the electrolyte being composed of a non-drying agent and a gum tragacanth class possessing weak electrolytic properties resulting from ,sufiers negligible deterioration when-in use for an electrostatic potential supply or when not in use and is incapable of producing any appreciable current flowwhen in-a closed circuit butis characteri'zed by the ability to produce a potential diflerence in the absence of current flow.

3. A potential-supplying battery comprising a negative electrode composed of an electropositive element, a positive electrode formed oi. a material electronegative thereto; and an electrolyte in contact with both said electrodes, the electrolyte being composed of a non dlyingagent selected from the group consisting or the p ydric alcohols and their weak acid esters and a gum oi the gum arabic-gumtragacanth class possessing weak electrolytic properties resulting from its normal constituents, said electrodes being substantially insoluble in and substantially unreactive with said electrolyte, whereby said battery suflers negligible deterioration when in use ior an electrostatic potential supply or when not,in use- ,a,aoo,ao1

and is incapable of producing any appreciable,

from the group consisting of aluminum,

current flow when in acloaed circuit but is characterlzed by theability to produce a potential diilerence in the absence of current flow.

- 4.1L potential-supplying battery-comprising a negative electrode composed of an element chosen.

from the group consisting 01'' aluminum, zinc and cadmium, a positive electrode of an electronically conductive material electronegative with respect to said negative electrode and a contacting elec-' trolyte consisting substantially of gum arabic.

5. Apotential-supplying battery comprising a a negative electrode composed of an element chosen zinc and cadmium, a positive electrode 0! an electronically conductive'material electronegative with respect to said negative electrode and a contacting electrolyte consisting substantially of gum tragacanth.

f 6. A potential-supplying battery comprising a negative electrode of cadmium, a positive electrode of vanadium pentoxide and a contacting electrolyte consisting substantially of gum arabic.

. I SAMUEL RUBEN. 

